Stochastic Calculus for Finance I: The Binomial Asset Pricing Model (Springer Finance)

Book Description

Stochastic Calculus for Finance evolved from the first ten years of the Carnegie Mellon Professional Master's program in Computational Finance. The content of this book has been used successfully with students whose mathematics background consists of calculus and calculus-based probability. The text gives both precise statements of results, plausibility arguments, and even some proofs, but more importantly intuitive explanations developed and refine through classroom experience with this material are provided. The book includes a self-contained treatment of the probability theory needed for stochastic calculus, including Brownian motion and its properties. Advanced topics include foreign exchange models, forward measures, and jump-diffusion processes.

This book is being published in two volumes. The first volume presents the binomial asset-pricing model primarily as a vehicle for introducing in the simple setting the concepts needed for the continuous-time theory in the second volume.

Chapter summaries and detailed illustrations are included. Classroom tested exercises conclude every chapter. Some of these extend the theory and others are drawn from practical problems in quantitative finance.

Advanced undergraduates and Masters level students in mathematical finance and financial engineering will find this book useful.

Steven E. Shreve is Co-Founder of the Carnegie Mellon MS Program in Computational Finance and winner of the Carnegie Mellon Doherty Prize for sustained contributions to education.

Customer Reviews:

Good book.......2007-10-01

I agree that most concepts are clearly explained....emphasis on *most*. OK, I'll nitpick. And I admit I'm nitpicking. For example, the proof of Jensen's inequality (which he oddly dives into without defining convex functions), is rather non-intuitive, and seems to be more an appeal to the accompanying picture rather than a proof. The proof given under the Wikipedia entry for "Jensen's Inequality" is much clearer, and makes much more sense, at least to my way of thinking. Other than the occassional gaffe such as this, it is a highly readable, informative, and dare I say enjoyable text!

Nice book.......2007-03-08

I think its a very good book for fundamental concepts in stocastic calculus.

Good for finanical mathematics graduates.......2007-01-10

clear explanations on binomial models for European and American options. Abstract concepts also included such as change of measures, martingales, stopping times. Proofs in book assumed no knowledge on sigma fields or measure theory.

Very good to understand the basics of pricing-theory........2006-03-04

This book is great book about theory. Using a simple binomial tree as asset evolution model, all key notions are introduced. Neutral-risk probabilities come up in a simple, natural way, and I never found such a clear explanation of the the change of measure and its meaning in finances. Examples help to understand every ussue.

The only case in which you should not buy it: if you are looking for real-market instruments and techniques.

Interesting Read.......2006-02-17

I found this book to be a very interesting and fun read. A very helpful introduction to binomimal models and basic stopping time principals. It also provides a great refresher to Martingale principals. If you are having trouble with Shreve's volume II then have a look at this book first.

Book Description

This book is as much a training manual as it is a guide to successful risk and crisis management. It has been developed out of the methodology of the SOCKO(tm) SYSTEM which has been the heart of the training program employed at the Centre for Training in Risk and Crisis Management in Toronto, Canada.

Book Description

This fun, hip guide to Chicago's bar scene scours the city from Rogers Park to Beverly, reviewing hundreds of entertainment choices. It appeals to any funloving nightcrawler, whether new arrival, visitor, or native Chicagoan searching for a cozy neighborhood hideaway, jumping after-work hangout, or energized late night dance club. Concise descriptions of each bar's location, atmosphere, patrons, prices, hours of operation, and fun facts are included, with special attention paid to little-known taverns that other guides may overlook. Each bar is rated and indexed according to such attributes as live music, ethnic food, beer gardens, great jukeboxes, fireplaces, and more.

Customer Reviews:

'Bout Time.......2002-01-12

This is the funniest bar guide I have ever read.

And these guys are right on the mark with their assessments of what's cool and what's lame. Any book that describes the hulkingly large Cubby Bear by saying "If it expands any more, they're gonna have to move Wrigley" is definitely on the mark.

Well done, and well [worth the money].

Finally an up to date & indispensable guidebook for Chicago!.......2001-12-11

Mr. Ruby's reputation precedes him as a top restaurant critic for the greater Chicago area. His latest effort `The Official Chicago Bar Guide' is filled with so many humorous antics one might enjoy reading it for sheer comic valve. The guide details all major corners of the city and leaves no stone unturned. However, he has a clear bias for Guinness and the University of Colorado.

The Official Chicago Bar Guide: A Fun, Hip Guide to over 350 Exciting Chicago Nightspots

Average customer rating:

Wonderful guide, but...
Cheers!
Man, this book is great!

The Official Chicago Bar Guide: A Fun, Hip Guide to over 350 Exciting Chicago Nightspots
John McGrath , and Ryan Ver Berkmoes
Manufacturer: Buckingham Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 096388932X

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful guide, but..........1999-03-02

This is a "must-have" for finding the great bars of Chicago. Just beware of one thing before you hop on that train or in that cab to go heading off to the perfect, little, out-of-the-way-neighborhood-pub: CALL AHEAD. In my recent visit, I found out the hard way that two of the places to which I travelled were no longer in existence. In one case, the bar was under different ownership and subsequently a totally different bar and in the other case, the building had been demolished and replaced by a townhouse. (This little hitch is the ONLY reason that this book doesn't receive 5 stars.)

Cheers!.......1998-02-12

If you ever find yourself in Chicago with a taste for an ice cold beer, you need this book! An all-encompassing guide to the wonderful bars of the Windy City that doesn't dwell on Rush Street. Although it's a bit out-dated at this point, it still serves as an invaluable reference.

Man, this book is great!.......1997-01-21

If you love bars and beer and you're anywhere near Chicago, you've got to check this book out. They pay homage to the old classics and uncover some new gems

Average customer rating:

Not his strongest book

Right on Target!

Excellent Information, Very Motivational

Lead to succeed-10 great traits of freat leaders

Pathological Egomaniac Into Jefferson County

Lead to Succeed: 10 Traits of Great Leadership in Business and Life
Rick Pitino
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Success Is a Choice: Ten Steps to Overachieving in Business and Life

Leading with the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life

The Winner Within

JOE TORRE'S GROUND RULES FOR WINNERS: 12 KEYS TO MANAGING TEAM PLAYERS, TOUGH BOSSES, SETBACKS, AND SUCCESS

Winning Every Day : The Game Plan for Success

ASIN: 0767903420
Release Date: 2001-05-15

Amazon.com

You gotta hand it to Rick Pitino. In the few years he's been president of the Boston Celtics and the team's head coach, he hasn't led them back to anything remotely resembling their former success--and yet most of the examples and anecdotes he employs in Lead to Succeed concern his dealings with that very team. You can look at that refusal to play down his time with the Celts as a bold assertion that true success is measured in modest increments and not in stats and profits alone. But then again... would Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, and Elaine May collaborate on a book called Lead to Succeed at the Box Office and then spend the whole time talking about Ishtar?

As it happens, most of the real-life scenarios Pitino uses to illustrate crucial leadership traits--like having a concrete vision; building a "team ego"; acting with integrity, decisiveness, flexibility, and consistency; maintaining focus and discipline; and acting selflessly--are taken, not inappropriately, from his experiences in college-level and professional basketball, which means the book will probably resonate most with those who follow hoops. But Pitino fails to break new ground in his choice of the nonbasketball figures he profiles, bouncing from Abe Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, and Pope John Paul II to Steve Jobs and Moses (who, Pitino quips, not only led well but "had a pretty good boss" himself). The few women you'll find cited here, such as Margaret Thatcher and Golda Meir, don't exactly conjure up images of a warm and fuzzy earth mother.

That said, you can't say Pitino doesn't have a clearly defined vision of good leadership, because he does--and his vision definitely falls on the old-school side, with a heavy emphasis on personal responsibility, self-discipline, a strong work ethic, and humility. He seems to see his role as Celtics coach as more disciplinarian than New Age nurturer, and indeed the majority of his Celtics vignettes recount how he brought an ornery, pouting, preening, or spotlight-hogging player (he seems to have a particular beef with standout player Antoine Walker) into line with his tough-love leadership. You also can't fault him for the unswerving, blunt-as-potatoes wisdom and experience he shares on such universally respected leadership traits as putting the team before the individual, total honesty, refusal to delegate the dirty work to anyone else, keeping one's word, and good old-fashioned scrappiness. "You have to stick to it," Pitino concludes in this B-ball-centric but honorable and serviceable guide for leaders of all sorts. And he's the first to admit he means that as much for his leadership position as anyone else's. Say what you will about the Celts, you gotta give the guy credit for that. --Timothy Murphy

Book Description

The master motivator shows how to cultivate the traits that all great leaders must possess?
As Rick Pitino says, great leaders aren't born great; they learn great leadership along the path of life. Pitino's insights on leadership and how it can be harnessed in positive and productive ways make him one of the most sought-after speakers in corporate America. In Lead to Succeed, Rick Pitino shares the ten traits of great leadership he discovered and has cultivated himself, and shows how you too can incorporate them into your own game plan. His program includes:

*How to build a "team ego" to give people a stake in winning
*How to keep a group focused and free of distraction
*Lessons from Rick's own experiences coaching players and managing employees

Pitino reveals why dictating and people-pleasing are dead ends, and how communication, consistency, and selflessness are the most effective ways to motivate the people who follow you-at work and at home. A perfect book for executives, managers, and sports fans, Lead to Succeed can make great leadership within reach.

Download Description

The master motivator and author of the smash bestseller Success Is a Choice now shows America how to cultivate traits that all leaders must possess. Lead to Succeed reveals how to build a "team ego" to give people a stake in winning and promotes inspiring ways to mentor future leaders.

Customer Reviews:

Not his strongest book.......2006-11-29

"Lead to Succeed" suffers from the same problem that many leadership books do. Leadership is a combination of an individual in a context, and many of Pitino's examples either don't translate well from coaching to business, or then end up being very generic ("be flexible" - gee, thanks, never though of that ;-)) The other problem is that Coach Pitino uses examples of his principles in his leadership of the Boston Celtics - but his tenure with the Celtics was not a success. He's a great coach, but I think his experience proves that effective leadership is context based. He was great at UK, poor with the Celtics, great at UL, etc.

I absolutely loved his earlier book "Success is a Choice" which translates very well into business. I'd recommend the earlier book more than this one.

Right on Target!.......2004-06-24

I didn't know much about Rick Pitino until reading his book, now I can see why he's been so successful in his profession. It isn't just accomplishing goals, it's the winning lifestyle that makes results happen that cause this to be a "quality of life" book. Pitino is passionate about what he does and the people with whom he works. He writes of the maturation process he had to endure himself before arriving at a more holistic view of genuine leadership. Such a person views the success of others in their organization as a mark of personal leadership.

This book is packed with "behind the scenes" insights on Patino paying his dues. The coach is so right about there being no substitute for experience. Pitino is a highly ethical man also. That theme is consistent throughout the book as well. This one will charge your battery. I give it my "a-ok" endorsement.

Excellent Information, Very Motivational.......2003-04-03

This is an amazing book from cover to cover. I wouldn't know where to start giving compliments on it. I've read several books over the years on business, motivation, and leadership. This book is by far one of the top reads. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking to improve themselves as well as those around them.

Lead to succeed-10 great traits of freat leaders.......2001-10-28

I just finished Lead to Succeed this a.m and I'm back at amazon to order 3 more for my key employees. This book had common sense ideas that can be related to any business in the growth mode. I'm not a big basketball fan, but I certainly am a fan of the wisdom of Mr. Pitino. The book was a wealth of knowledge and information,very entertaining and a book that I could not put down till I finished. Pass it on, it will encourage anyone to strive to become the best.

Pathological Egomaniac Into Jefferson County.......2001-03-23

A perfect selection to augment the University of Louisville Library system-wide single book collection "Dumb and Dumber: Get Down Dumb". Also highly recomended on advanced review, Pitino's forethcoming "The Red Headed Stepchild University That Just Quite Couldn't"

Customer Reviews:

Job Search Secreds.......2003-03-12

The style or this writer is honest and practical. She provides minimal, easy bite size chunks of info that hit home ... helping you put one foot in front of the other confidently and with a natural inherent sense of success ... no matter how the day's "battle" turns out ... because you've practiced a good side of yourself.

I borrowed this book from the Library, but will buy it with my first pay check (I just got my job today) just for the chance that some of its authentic attitudes will rub off on me as I pursue the art of making successful contributions in my workplace.

Thank you, Claudia Jordan.

Kind regards--Denise, (starting new Safety Manager position tomorrow)

Job Search Secreds.......2003-03-12

Thank you, Claudia Jordan.

Kind regards--Denise, (starting new Safety Manager position tomorrow)

A must read for job searchers.......1999-02-22

I tell of all my job seekers to read Claudia Jordans book. I run an intransition support group for marketing and advertising job seekers. Her book is on the must read list. It gives the job seeker great ideas and tips to make thier job searches easier. Very understandable advice.

Book Description

Alzheimer's Disease "Fighting For Financial Survival" is a Financial and Legal Guide to Economic Survival for Alzheimers Patients and their families. This book is a layperson's guide to the legal and financial strategies avaiable to protect a person's assets from a prolonged nursing home stay. A must read for everyone.

Customer Reviews:

Look Elsewhere.......2001-05-05

A quick read and waste of time. Information contained in the book generally available to anyone in al public forums.

Take a pass on this book........2001-05-05

Alzheimers Disease, fighting for finacial survival did not live up to my expectations. The Author clearly has "issues himself" and the biggest one is thinking we need his advice. The title is very misleading. There are many caring books on Alzheimers that include a short chaptor telling all we need to know about nursing homes etc. and protecting your money. There are no magic bullets contained in this book as the title implies and I would return it if I could.

Book is worthless.......2001-05-02

The book isn't about Alzheimers at all. It's simply a rehash of publicly available info on transferring your assets before someone enters a nursing home.

Looking for a great TOPIC to discuss then read it.......2001-03-09

I was interested in learning a "little" about asset protection had been hearing soooooo much talk amongst my peers on the tennis courts, about a friend who basically lost everything to a nursing home because he was not properly protected. So dedcided to do a search , somewhat skeptical wondering if I could digest such information.

I read the editorial review and saw that this book had been written for someone like me that needed simple, language.

I found the language to be as easy as pie, and well the examples were an absolute delight. Not only did I learn it but I can convey it too, & That says it all.

A Great Write Good For you too!

I feel like a heavy weight was "literally lifted".......2001-03-06

If you have a love one about to, or may someday need to,go into a nursing home, and do NOT have a clue on what to do with there money, but have a hunch that giving it all away is not the only way.

Then this book will show you in step by step form on what to do, what not to do, and how to do it. I was able to walk away from this book with "real" knowledge.

This book replaced fear with ease and avoidance with attempt! It Should be a mainstay on everyone's bookshelf.

Average customer rating:
Alzheimer's disease; fighting for financial survival: A financial and legal guide to economic survival for Alzheimer's patients and their families
Edward D Beasley
Manufacturer: Beasley & Ferber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Alzheimer's Disease | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006RT7T2

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Planning for Retirement Needs
Kenn Beam Tacchino David A. Littell
Manufacturer: The American College Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Investments with S&P bind-in card

ASIN: 193281924X

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Pension Planning: Pensions, Profit-Sharing, And Other Deferred Compensation Plans
Jr., Everett T. Allen , Joseph J Melone , Jerry S. Rosenbloom , and Dennis F. Mahoney
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Personal Financial Planning

ASIN: 0072530839

Book Description

PENSION PLANNING: Pension, Profit-Sharing, and Other Deferred Compensation Plans describes the process of pension planning. It provides the reader with pension plan features, costs, investment opportunities, and regulatory issues and assists in the evaluation of various types of plans. It is the most up-to-date book on pension planning, and it is adopted by the main association that focuses on this topic¿the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans for the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist program.

American Jurisprudence 2d: State and Federal (Patents to Pension, Profit-sharing, and Deferred Compensation Plans)

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American Jurisprudence 2d: State and Federal (Patents to Pension, Profit-sharing, and Deferred Compensation Plans)
The Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Co. & Bancroft-Whitney Co.
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: B000X2A78U

District court says excise taxes were inappropriate when plan was not harmed.: An article from: The Tax Adviser

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District court says excise taxes were inappropriate when plan was not harmed.: An article from: The Tax Adviser
Peter I. Elinsky , and Sallie Olson
Manufacturer: American Institute of CPA's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Tax Adviser, published by American Institute of CPA's on June 1, 1992. The length of the article is 543 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The imposition of underfunding and prohibited transaction excise taxes by the IRS was not warranted in the case of a professional association with a single participant that made bookkeeping errors resulting in an apparent of violation of IRC 4971 and 4975. The US District Court based their decision on the fact that the participant had not benefited from the error, and any harm would have affected only him.

Citation Details
Title: District court says excise taxes were inappropriate when plan was not harmed.
Author: Peter I. Elinsky
Publication: The Tax Adviser (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 1992
Publisher: American Institute of CPA's
Volume: 23 Issue: n6 Page: 374(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

A guide to nondiscrimination requirements for qualified pension and profit-sharing plans

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A guide to nondiscrimination requirements for qualified pension and profit-sharing plans
Adrien R LaBombarde
Manufacturer: Commerce Clearing House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Taxation | Law | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006EX8M2

Guide to pension and profit sharing plans,

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Guide to pension and profit sharing plans,
Robert S Holzman
Manufacturer: Farnsworth Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Guide to Pension and Profit Sharing Plans: Taxation,Selection, and Design (Tax and Estate Planning Series)

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Guide to Pension and Profit Sharing Plans: Taxation,Selection, and Design (Tax and Estate Planning Series)
David S. Dunkle
Manufacturer: Shepards/Mcgraw-Hill
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0070182272

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Guide to Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans

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ProductGroup: Book
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Honest employee benefit plans
Howe Preston Cochran
Manufacturer: s.n
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How to complete IRS and Labor Department reporting forms for pension, profit sharing and other employee benefit plans

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Had Me Laughing Out Loud
Scathing View of Founding Fathers
A fascinating biography that made me laugh out loud
Vidal the Iconoclast, more appropriate today than ever.
Fun to read but emotionally distant

How to complete IRS and Labor Department reporting forms for pension, profit sharing and other employee benefit plans
Edward F Cahill
Manufacturer: New England Mutual Life Insurance Co
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006D7WK2

Amazon.com

Charles Schuyler is a personal assistant to Aaron Burr, the former Revolutionary War hero, vice president under Jefferson, and infamous slayer of Alexander Hamilton. He's also been employed by a group of political operatives in New York journalism circles to dig up evidence that Burr is the "natural father," as the expression goes, of up-and-coming presidential candidate Martin van Buren. Schuyler's journal entries are a wondrous prose picture of Jacksonian society, while an imagined autobiographical account from Burr provides a similar depiction of the nation's origins. Like all of Vidal's historical fiction, Burr has little use for America's received iconography, and draws upon contemporary sources to puncture the legendary reputations of Washington and Jefferson. There are also marvelous cameo appearances from figures like Washington Irving and Davy Crockett, of whom Schuyler notes, "He is considered a delightful figure. I can't think why." (There's also a substantial subplot in which Schuyler falls in love with a prostitute named Helen Jewett; readers may be interested to learn that she is, in fact, a real historical figure). --Ron Hogan

Book Description

Burr is the opening volume in Gore Vidal's great fictional chronicle of American history, each of which is being republished in the Modern Library . Burr

Customer Reviews:

Had Me Laughing Out Loud.......2007-09-29

To appreciate this novel you have to know the issues surrounding Burr, Hamilton, and Jefferson. Having recently read Chernow's Alexander Hamilton and Isenburg's Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr I was glad to have the events still fresh in my mind. Vidal put it all together 30 years before these biographies, that is without the advantage of new research and contemporary thinking. This novel also, notably, predates DNA and the confirmation of Jefferson's "bright" children.

Vidal's cleverly grafts his outlook and sensibility onto Burr. We will never know, but it may be an excellent fit. In telling the tale through Burr's eyes he gives a stronger defense of Burr than the Isenburg bio. While fictional, all the events are here. At the end, Vidal has a short note clarifying the few occasions when he strayed from the facts and noting that much of Jefferson's dialog was taken from Jefferson's own, copious, writings.

I was laughing out loud at the Vidal/Burr takes on the Jefferson plantation, Jefferson's White House (the books, the garden tools and the mocking bird who lands on his shoulder), Andrew Jackson (dialog, sore false teeth and comments on Davy Crockett's demise) and of course Burr's terse comments on Hamilton. While this is all serious history, Burr (the character and the novel) doesn't take himself/itself at all seriously.

This book begs to be a movie. It would surely be a riotous and controversial one.

Scathing View of Founding Fathers.......2007-06-06

Gore Vidal's BURR is an interesting, if somewhat rambling account of a lesser known man from our nations origins. Burr has often been vilified for his fatal "Interview" with Hamilton on Weehawken Heights. This novel seeks to put a voice on a little known personage who inter-acted with all the famous founding fathers.

Vidal has taken a lot of historical research and novelized it in order to flesh out an individual who left little or no paper trail of his life. Much that we know about Burr seems to come mostly from others. He was vilified by Hamilton who became his arch-enemy. Vidal uses Burr as a means to provide a scathing and perhaps more realistic view of our founding fathers.

This book came out shortly before the Bicenntenial in 1976 and few dared at that time to have any but praise and admiration for our nations origins. Gore Vidal wanted to be controversial in his view of the early republic. In this book, Washington, Hamilton and Jefferson all come down a peg or two. The novel shows us that all these famous men were guys on the make with the insider knowledge to make themselves the ruling elite of the nation. Burr was merely one of the more controversial of the crowd. He certainly lead a fascinating life and could have been a man of great influence for his time.

The novel proceeds at a slow pace at times moving back and forth between the present and the past. The chapters which deal with Burr's supposed memoirs are by far the most interesting and entertaining parts of the book. The rest of the story tends to drag a bit, and while Burr's views are certainly interesting, much of the perspective comes from the hand of the author. Vidal has a generally bad opinion of the government of the USA, and one can see here that he believes its origins were in Burr's time.

His portrait of Washy as a stiff, arrogant elitest of little imagination will no dount rile up many of his hero worshipers. I suspect that this portrait, while exaggerated, is not that far off the mark! The same can be said for the novel as a whole: Exaggerated, but not completely so. While I am not a Gore Vidal fan, this was the first work of his I have ever read, I would say for those interested in the early republic period that it is quite worthwhile.

Fans of Vidal no doubt have long read this book as his following is a devoted one. I don't know if I will ever read another of his books, but I did find this one worthwhile. An interesting view of a man and his times.

A fascinating biography that made me laugh out loud.......2006-12-21

First, I have to admit that I have not studied America's "Founding Fathers" so it is possible that some of what Vidal included in his book is controversial among historians. However, the book was a great read that helped me understand a bit of what was going on in our country during that time. Years ago I read "Lies My Teacher Told Me" about how American History is distorted when it is taught in our public schools. Since then I've been keeping an eye out for scholarly accurate but accessible books about the early republic. I'd definitely recommend this one. I'd give it 5 starts if it included a preface that stated what aspects were "controversial" among scholars. Whether you like Vidal or not, he is a great writer.

Vidal the Iconoclast, more appropriate today than ever........2006-12-04

"Burr" is my very belated introduction to the works of Gore Vidal. I'm glad I waited so long to read anything of his. Not only are other authors are just now catching up with him, but also it is part of today's political and literary climate in America to topple and stomp on our triumphal presidential statuary. "Burr" is at its best when burning historical idols, and burn it does -- this sure ain't Disney's Davy Crockett! Vidal may demur in the Afterword of this book that his opinions on Washington and Jefferson are not as severe as those of his title character, but they are hilarious nonetheless and may motivate the reader to consult other biographical material to peer behind these icons' magisterial facades. The book is uneven, however, with its disconcerting leaps back and forth between the two narrators and across decades. I wished for more of Burr's voice and less of his acolyte's. And that implausibly soapy surprise ending, wrapping up the two main characters in a big exclamation point, left me cold.

Fun to read but emotionally distant.......2006-09-01

Like most people of my generation, I've known Gore Vidal primarily as a personality, not as an author. His historical novel Burr (1973) was the first of his books I've ever read.

Burr is constructed as a novel with two narrators. The "present-day" (1833) narrator is Charlie Schuyler, a young law clerk in the office of Aaron Burr, an elderly but still vital man of 77. Charlie becomes interested in the life of this witty and roguish older man and eventually Burr agrees to dictate his memoirs to Charlie. This brings in the second and more interesting narrator, Burr himself, as he spins self-serving yarns about his life from his days as a young soldier in the Revolution to the duel with Alexander Hamilton to the adventurous plot that led to his sensational trial for treason.

As a novel, Burr is a mixed bag. The Aaron Burr portions of the narrative bristle with charm and energy. Every paragraph is full of biting and often hilarious commentary on the Founding Fathers. As with a real autobiography, Burr makes himself look good and glosses over his mistakes and tragedies. He shows no remorse for the death of Hamilton, and barely touches on the only meaningful relationship of his life, that with his daughter Theodosia, whom he molded into his idea of the perfect woman only to lose her in a shipwreck.

I found the Schuyler portions of the book much less interesting. Though Charlie does some investigation into the unanswered questions of Burr's life, I kept wishing there were more chances to hear from other voices. We're mostly just left to take Burr's word about things. Instead of more digging into the more nebulous aspects of Burr's life, the Charlie portion of the story is bogged down with two subplots that I found less than compelling: Charlie's relationship with a doomed prostitute and his involvement in a scheme to betray Burr by attempting to prove that the current presidential candidate, Martin Van Buren, is actually Burr's illegitimate son. At one point, he even meets Van Buren, who is portrayed as extremely charismatic. I just couldn't get interested in this ancient political "gotcha."

A larger problem with Burr is that the entire book is done as narrative summary. Almost nothing happens in "real time." Though Vidal is so skilled as a writer that the voice of Burr reminiscing about old times is very entertaining, this format dictates that there can be no surprises and no suspense. All of the events are long in the past, and both Burr and the reader know exactly where it's all going. We hear Burr tell about the dire insult that led him to duel Hamilton, but we never feel the anger. We hear about Burr's love for Theodosia (and the implications of others that it may have been unhealthy), but we never feel this one grand passion of the old rascal. We hear Burr weave his tale about the plot to storm into Mexico with the help of the nefarious James Wilkinson, but we're never recruited into Burr's dreams of conquest.

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